The Most Exciting Fitness Trends of 2017

When times are tough (*cough* 2017 *cough*), people need a way to blow off steam. Luckily, they've got more choices than ever: national gym chains have gone boutique, celeb trainers are available on demand, and biohacking has made its way into the mainstream. Here's what else was big in the fitness space in 2017.

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Instagram/@kait.hurley

Meditation, Restorative, and Recovery Classes

ClassPass recently released a list of some of the year's biggest fitness trends and found meditation, restorative, and recovery classes are all on the rise. To reap the physical and mental benefits, hit up a studio like MNDFL, or take classes that incorporate mindfulness into an easy-to-follow, yoga-inspired mix, like Kait Hurley's do-anywhere workouts.

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Instagram/@soulannex

SoulAnnex

This year, SoulCycle branched out with SoulAnnex. The studio in New York City features custom classes — with no bikes in sight! — to let you get your Soul on in a totally new way. Choose from three kinds of workouts: "move," an MMA-inspired, choreographed class; "define," which embraces HIIT techniques; and "align," which uses pilates, yoga, and other mat-based movements to build core strength and flexibility.

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Instagram/@wework

Gyms Get Social

This year, the co-working company WeWork announced Rise by We — an upscale wellness club where busy professionals can go to sweat and socialize after they leave their co-working spaces. The New York City-based location has everything from a spa to cardio and yoga studios to treadmills.

If you get bored during normal spin classes, you'll love the immersive trend. Studios are popping up all over the world — there's Les Mills' The Trip, which has locations across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, as well as New York City's TMPL and Equinox's The Pursuit. They all involve pedaling in front of a massive screen to help you feel as though you've been transported somewhere other than a gym.

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Instagram/@everybodylosangeles

Inclusive Gyms

Long gone are the days of thinking you already have to be fit to go to the gym without feeling judged. Everybody — a new non-traditional gym, fitness, and wellness center in Los Angeles — is all about creating a safe and supportive environment everyone can exercise in, no matter your sex, race, size, age, or ability.

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Instagram/@boxandflow

Hybrid Workout Classes

It's getting easier and easier to find workouts that combine two popular exercises in one. The New York City-based studio Box + Flow, for example, has 55-minute classes that combine boxing and yoga to get a workout that's as sweaty as it is transformative.

This year, at-home cycling became even more popular. Not only is the Peloton bike still a top-rated, at-home fitness machine, but Flywheel just came out with its own model. Both let you stream live or on-demand classes, making you feel like you're part of the community at home.

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Instagram/@bulletprooflabs

Futuristic Workouts

When it comes to getting your sweat on, the future is here. The newly-opened Bulletproof Labs in Santa Monica, California, is leading the charge by using tech that looks like it's straight out of a sci-fi movie. (Its "Cheat Machine" supposedly gives you a week's worth of weightlifting in under 15 minutes.) The company's objective is to perfect the art of biohacking — that is, finding "shortcuts that increase physical and cognitive performance through science-backed information and cutting-edge technology."

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Instagram/@projectbyequinox

The Boutique Model Takes Over

Equinox has built a nationwide brand around its luxe gyms. But this year, the company entered the boutique studio space with New York City's PROJECT by Equinox. Unlike the classes at the gym chain, you don't have to be a member to hit up this studio, which features a mix of cardio, strength, toning, and HIIT.

You no longer have to live in big cities to take classes from renowned celebrity trainers. Thanks to streaming workout services, you can sweat with Shakira’s trainer, Anna Kaiser, do Lauren Kleban's famed trampoline cardio workouts, or try Nicole Winhoffer's beloved hip-hop, cardio-dance routines — all from the comfort of your living room.

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